Easy access women&#39;s panty

ABSTRACT

A women&#39;s panty includes an opening in a crotch piece located opposite to a genital region, for use as erotic clothing. The opening may be covered by a removable cover piece.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/382,236, filed Sep. 13, 2010, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

The present disclosure relates to women's panties, and more particularly to a soft panty adapted for erotic use.

2. Description of Related Art

Women's underwear includes panties in various different styles. Panties are usually made of soft and elastic fabric materials, for example, cotton or silk fabric, with elastic around the waist and leg openings. Panties generally do not include functional openings, except for three primary openings for the waist and legs, respectively. Panties always include a piece of fabric or equivalent material between the legs for covering the crotch, herein called the crotch piece, supported by and attached to a waistband at opposite ends of the crotch piece. Openings for the legs are defined between the waistband and opposing sides of the crotch piece. The crotch piece is used for covering the woman's crotch, and is of a one-piece construction. The crotch piece is permanently integrated to the panties, typically by being of one piece and/or sewn together with fabric comprising the panties.

SUMMARY

A woman's panty may include a soft fabric and elastic waistband configured to encircle a woman's waist, and a soft fabric crotch piece fixed to the waistband at opposite ends of the crotch piece between opposing leg openings of the panty. The crotch piece may include at least one cutout in the crotch piece centrally disposed between the opposing leg openings, wherein the cutout does not sever the crotch piece and provides a free opening of definite size and shape through the soft fabric of the crotch piece. The cutout may be located so as to expose a vaginal opening of a wearer of the panty to an extent sufficient to permit penetration of the vaginal opening through the cutout during sexual intercourse without removal of the panty from the wearer or moving any fabric of the crotch piece away from the vaginal opening.

The panty may include a cover piece removably attached to the crotch piece and covering the cutout. The cutout, the cover piece, or both may be configured in a whimsical, romantic or erotic shape and decorated accordingly. Fasteners may be attached to the crotch piece around a perimeter of the cutout, configured for manually reversible attachment of the cover piece to the crotch piece. A flexible member, for example a piece of string, yarn, lace or the like, may connect the cover piece to the panties when the cover piece is not attached to the crotch piece by the fasteners, configured to permit the cover piece to be moved away from the cutout while remaining attached to the panty. The fasteners may be of various types, for example, snaps, hooks, buttons, buttonholes, loops, hook and loop material, laces and eyelets, and zippers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a women's panty, illustrating exemplary components.

FIG. 2 is a fabric plan for a women's panty having a slit-type erotic easy-access opening.

FIGS. 3A-3C show details of various slit-type openings for a panty.

FIG. 4 shows a fabric plan for a panty with an erotic severable crotch piece.

FIGS. 5A-5B show a fabric plan for a panty with a cutout providing an erotic free opening in the crotch piece, in closed and open configurations.

FIGS. 6A-C show various views of a panty with a slit-type erotic opening.

FIGS. 7A-C show various views of a panty with a slit-type erotic opening, according to an alternative style.

FIGS. 8A-C show various views of a panty having a severable erotic crotch piece.

FIGS. 9A-C show various views of a panty with a slit-type erotic opening, according to an alternative style.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Women's panties are provided with various novel crotch piece configurations, each of which permits access to the genital region without removing the panties as a whole. The panties are particularly useful as sleepwear or private leisure wear, because the special crotch piece construction permits the wearer to engage in sex with her partner without removing her panties. The novel crotch piece thereby provides convenience during and after sexual activity. A woman's choice of panties with the novel crotch piece may also act as a subtle indication of interest in sexual activity, enhancing communication with the woman's partner and erotic enjoyment for the couple. The panties can also be worn under clothing like conventional panties. As used herein, a “panty”, a “pair of panties” or “panties” may be used interchangeably, and should be understood as referring to a single undergarment of the same type, unless the context clearly indicates that plural undergarments are being referred to. In addition, as used herein a “panty” or “panties” refer to a woman's undergarment made of a soft, very flexible material that is easily removable and worn solely for comfort or appearance. As such, panties should be understood as excluding outerwear or supportive types of undergarments constructed from relatively stiff fabrics, for example, girdles or the like.

In general, as shown in FIG. 1, the panties 100 comprise a waistband 104 comprising a soft fabric and elastic material configured to encircle a woman's waist, which may be similar to a waistband for conventional panties. The panties are constructed for comfort and aesthetic appeal and not for support; as such, a thin soft flexible fabric such as, for example, smooth silk, cotton, or similar materials or material blends may be used. A fabric crotch piece 102 is attached to the waistband 104 at opposite ends of the crotch piece between opposing leg openings 108, 108′ of the panties. When worn by a woman, the crotch piece 102 is supported by the waistband 104 and covers her crotch between her legs. The crotch piece 102 comprises at least one through opening configured to permit access underneath the crotch piece, without requiring removal or displacement of the waistband. The at least one opening should be located in the region generally indicated by the dashed oval 110. The panties 100 are adapted such that the region 110 is positioned directly over the vaginal opening of the wearer, when the panties are worn by a woman.

One of the configurations for the at least one opening is a slit configuration. A fabric plan for a pair of panties 200 with a slit opening 210 configuration is shown in FIG. 2. The fabric plan shows the crotch piece 204, which is supported by the waistband 202, 202′. The waistband is separated into two parts, a front half 202 and a rear half 202′. Like other fabric plans shown in the figures, the two halves 202, 202′ can be joined at the seams 212 and 214 to provide a finished pair of panties of the type shown in FIG. 1. The present invention is not limited to the particular style or assembly method disclosed herein, and may be applied to a wide variety of panty styles.

As is apparent from FIG. 2, the slit 210 may be placed about midway between the leg openings and is roughly parallel to the edges of the crotch piece at the leg openings. The slit 210 may terminate at it opposite ends without extending through the waistband 202, 202′. This permits the panties to remain on their wearer when the slit 210 is opened to provide easy access underneath. The slit 210 should be positioned in the region 110 directly over and generally parallel to the vaginal opening of the wearer.

The slit 210 may be provided in various styles. In some embodiments, no fasteners are used to hold the slit closed; instead, fabric tension holds the slit 210 generally closed when the panties are being worn and the slit is undisturbed, as shown in FIG. 3A (showing a breakaway view of the crotch piece in fabric plan). The slit 210 can be ready opened to provide an opening 215 as shown in FIG. 3B, using manual manipulation. A flap 220 may be attached along a long edge of the slit. The flap may be tucked to the inside of the crotch piece as shown in FIG. 3A to help maintain the crotch piece 204 in a closed configuration, when slit 210 is not in use.

In other embodiments, the slit 210 is provided with fasteners 230, as shown in FIG. 3C. The fasteners may be attached to the crotch piece 204 along the edges of the slit 210, configured to permit manually reversible closing of the slit 210 when not in use. For example, the slit 210 may be fastened using snaps, hooks, buttons, buttonholes, loops, hook and loop material, laces and eyelets, zippers, or any other suitable reversible closure as used for clothing or the like.

In other embodiments, the at least one opening may be provided as a cut 310 separating the crotch piece 304 of the panties 300 into separate pieces, a front part 312 and a rear part 314, as shown in FIG. 4. The cut 310 extends between the side edges of the crotch piece 304, terminating at the leg holes. Fasteners 330 may be attached to the crotch piece adjacent to an edge of the cut 330, configured for manually reversible attachment of the two parts of the crotch piece 304. The fasteners 330 may be selected from the group consisting of snaps, hooks, buttons, buttonholes, loops, hook and loop material, laces and eyelets, zippers, or any other suitable manually reversible closure as used for clothing or the like.

In other embodiments, the at least one opening may be provided as a cutout 410 centrally located in the crotch piece 404 between the leg holes of a pair of panties 400, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B. The opening provided by the cutout 410 may have a definite size and shape, for example, rectangular, square, circular, elliptical, polygonal, etc. The cutout 410 does not sever the crotch piece 404; accordingly, the fabric of the crotch piece surrounds the cutout 410 on all sides. The cutout 410 may be centrally disposed between the opposing leg openings, and provides a free opening of definite size and shape through the soft fabric of the crotch piece located so as to expose a vaginal opening of a wearer of the panty to an extent sufficient to permit penetration of the vaginal opening through the cutout during sexual intercourse without removal of the panties from the wearer or moving any fabric of the crotch piece away from the vaginal opening. A cover piece 420 may be provided to cover the cutout opening 410 when not in use. The cover piece may be decorative and provided with a whimsical or erotic appearance. Fasteners 424, 422 may be attached to the crotch piece around a perimeter of the cutout, configured for manually reversible attachment of the cover piece to the crotch piece. In the depicted embodiment, the fasteners 424, 422 comprise opposite sides of a hook and loop fastening tape. Other fasteners may also be used, for example, snaps, hooks, buttons, buttonholes, loops, laces and eyelets, zippers, or any other suitable manually reversible closure as used for clothing or the like

The panties 426 may further comprise a flexible member 426 connecting the cover piece 420 to the panties 400 when the cover piece is not attached to the crotch piece 404 by the fasteners, configured to permit the cover piece to be moved away from the cutout 410 while remaining attached to the panties. The flexible member 426 may comprise a length of lace, ribbon, cord, or the like, for attaching the loose cover piece to the panties. In the alternative, the flexible member may comprise a fabric hinge (not shown), effectively configuring the cover piece as an external flap.

Various examples of prototype panties are shown in the remaining figures. FIGS. 6A-6C show various views of a panty 600 equipped with a slit-type opening 610, closed with buttons 620. A waistband 602 and crotch piece 604 define leg opening 608 and 608′. An elastic material 632 may be used around the leg openings and waist opening 640.

FIGS. 7A-7C show various views of a women's panty 700 having an open waistband and equipped with a slit-type opening 710 in the crotch piece, closed with laces 720. The waist band may include an open portion spanned by narrow fabric elements 722. The waist band may include a front panel 702 and a rear panel 702′, joined by the narrow elements 722.

FIGS. 8A-8C show various views of a women's panty 800 equipped with a through cut type opening, closed with hook and loop tape 812. FIG. 8C shows the crotch piece 814 in an open configuration. FIGS. 9A-9C show various views of a women's panty equipped with a slit-type opening 910 closed with buttons and loops. It should be appreciated that the depicted prototypes are merely examples of many different opening styles and fasteners consistent with the present disclosure.

Having thus described an embodiment of a women's panty, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that certain advantages of the within system have been achieved. It should also be appreciated that various modifications, adaptations, and alternative embodiments thereof may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present technology. The scope of what is claimed should be determined by the appended claims interpreted in accordance with the foregoing specification, and is not limited by the examples hereinabove. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A woman's panty, comprising: a waistband comprising a soft fabric and elastic material configured to encircle a woman's waist; and a soft fabric crotch piece fixed to the waistband at opposite ends of the crotch piece between opposing leg openings of the panty, wherein the crotch piece includes at least one cutout in the crotch piece centrally disposed between the opposing leg openings, wherein the cutout does not sever the crotch piece and provides a free opening of definite size and shape through the soft fabric of the crotch piece located so as to expose a vaginal opening of a wearer of the panty to an extent sufficient to permit penetration of the vaginal opening through the cutout during sexual intercourse without removal of the panties from the wearer or moving any fabric of the crotch piece away from the vaginal opening.
 2. The panties of claim 1, further comprising a cover piece attached to the crotch piece and covering the cutout.
 3. The panties of claim 2, further comprising fasteners attached to the crotch piece around a perimeter of the cutout, configured for manually reversible attachment of the cover piece to the crotch piece.
 4. The panties of claim 4, further comprising a flexible member connecting the cover piece to the panties when the cover piece is not attached to the crotch piece by the fasteners, configured to permit the cover piece to be moved away from the cutout while remaining attached to the panty.
 5. The panties of claim 4, wherein the fasteners are selected from the group consisting of snaps, hooks, buttons, buttonholes, loops, hook and loop material, laces and eyelets, and zippers. 